DHAKA: Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday ordered the release of 151 Indian prisoners ahead of his historic visit to New Delhi to attend Narendra Modi’s swearing-in as premier.

Islamabad’s move to free the prisoners, mostly fishermen accused of violating Pakistan’s territorial waters, was welcomed by India as a diplomatic gesture ahead of the inauguration Monday.

Modi’s invitation to Sharif to attend the ceremony has been widely seen as a bold diplomatic statement that he intends to improve strained ties between the nuclear-armed rivals.

The Pakistani PM’s attendance will be a first in the history of the South Asian neighbours, which have fought three wars since independence in 1947 and remain bitterly divided over the disputed region of Kashmir and other issues, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1849 HRS, MAY 25, 2014